Have Impact ! » New Loans http://www.haveimpact.org Make a difference in the world. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:19:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Do good, and good will come to you. http://www.haveimpact.org/do-good-and-good-will-come-to-you/ http://www.haveimpact.org/do-good-and-good-will-come-to-you/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 01:15:08 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=461 As many of you know, I am an aidworker. Since we started our “Change Starts Here” project about 18 months ago, many colleagues from work joined in, and became members of our Kiva lenders team.

The news spread around, and quite a few people from work follow the project. While working on mission in the Dominican [...]]]> Santa Lucia Kiva entrepreneurs
As many of you know, I am an aidworker. Since we started our “Change Starts Here” project about 18 months ago, many colleagues from work joined in, and became members of our Kiva lenders team.

The news spread around, and quite a few people from work follow the project. While working on mission in the Dominican Republic for the Haiti earthquake relief operation, I had one of my colleagues come to me at the end of his mission. He said working in Santo Domingo and Haiti opened his eyes more, and he became more aware of what he could do in life, and for those around him.

He asked if he could give me a -considerable- amount of money, part of his daily allotment for working here, so he could do some good through me. He wanted to remain anonymous, but still wanted to contribute.

So the loans I allocated today are his “giving back” to the world, a world he felt now much more part of.

I was taken by this gesture, as it illustrates how ‘doing good, spins off’, but also towards him, I said “Do good, and good will come to you”.

Thanks again, my anonymous friend! May the good come to you too! Your loans were allocated to agricultural entrepreneurs in South America, like the Santa Lucia Communal Bank entrepreneurs, consisting of 18 women. They are all friends and neighbors and are working in their fifth loan cycle.

Justina, the team leader, requested a loan to establish a business selling slaughtered chickens. At first she will sell to the neighborhood businesses. Then, she wants to have her own henhouse to raise, fatten, and sell the chicken herself. This will leave her with greater income.

Her Kiva entrepreneurial group is part of the 6 loans we allocated this week:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/do-good-and-good-will-come-to-you/feed/ 1 New loans for the Dominican Republic and South America http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-dominican-republic-and-south-america/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-dominican-republic-and-south-america/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 00:05:38 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=456 The Unidos Venceremos Group in the Dominican Republic

As I have been in the Dominican Republic since January, supporting the Haiti earthquake emergency, I thought to concentrate my next batch of loans to entrepreneurs in this region.

I found a few of them based in the Dominican itself, like the Unidos Venceremos group in Samana, bit [...]]]>

The Unidos Venceremos Group in the Dominican Republic

As I have been in the Dominican Republic since January, supporting the Haiti earthquake emergency, I thought to concentrate my next batch of loans to entrepreneurs in this region.

I found a few of them based in the Dominican itself, like the Unidos Venceremos group in Samana, bit further North from here.

Martina is the coordinator of the group. She lives with her partner and their three children. This is her nineth loan with Kiva. She plans to use this loan to invest in her business by traveling to the capital to purchase skirts, jeans, blouses and pants in the main markets and then bringing them back to her community to sell. She will use the profits to invest in her business by purchasing a scooter to help her move her merchandise as well as saving towards having her own store one day (her current business is mobile).

She also wants to invest in her home by remodeling it.

As I have been busy with work, repayments from previous loans had been piling up on my Kiva credit, to a total of US$3,500. So after I “exhausted” the loans for Dominican entrepreneurs, I looked for more entrepreneurs from South America.

Why? Well, during my stay here, we had many South American staff from our organisation travelling through, and working with us. While I travelled through over 100 countries in the world, South America clearly showed to be an unknown to me. I was surprised to find so many of these people well-trained, very motivated and knowledgable, and I have started to grow fond of them.

That’s why the majority of the funds for this US$3,500 loan went to entrepreneurs in this region. As they deserve all the stimuli they can get.

Here are all the loans:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-dominican-republic-and-south-america/feed/ 0 New microfinance loans in 7 countries http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-in-7-countries/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-in-7-countries/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:07:43 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=447 One of our new entrepreneur groups: The Por Una Vida Digna Group in Peru

“Por Una Vida Digna” is a group of ten people who have been investing in some type of business since six years. Mrs. Benedicta Serrano, for example, makes and sells variously flavored yoghurts according to her customers’ wishes. She also sells [...]]]> Por Una Vida Digna Group in Peru

One of our new entrepreneur groups: The Por Una Vida Digna Group in Peru

“Por Una Vida Digna” is a group of ten people who have been investing in some type of business since six years. Mrs. Benedicta Serrano, for example, makes and sells variously flavored yoghurts according to her customers’ wishes. She also sells various fruit nectars.
She has a lot of demand so the funds she receives will be used to buy an ice chest. She is a very active group member and, because of that, she was selected to be the group president.
As a dance teacher, Elsa Dávalos, noticed renting costumes could be a profitable enterprise so she began to make them herself and then rent them to her students. This work has given her much satisfaction.
The other group members have different lines of work to which they are dedicated with much enthusiasm and effort because one of their most important objectives is to provide their families with sustenance and good education.

We allocated a loan of US$50 to the “The Por Una Vida Digna”, as one of our 44 new loans. In this loan trench, I concentrated on:

  1. Groups of entrepreneurs, led by women, or with a majority of women; or
  2. Entrepreneurs working in agriculture by either growing a crop or raising animals; or
  3. Entrepreneurs in South America.

I allocated a total of US$1,775 in loans to entrepreneurs in Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Cambodia, Philippines and Nicaragua. This amount was the total repayment of previous loans, which I received during the month of December.

Here is the full list of the new loans:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-in-7-countries/feed/ 3 The final set of “typhoon” loans to the Philippines and Cambodia http://www.haveimpact.org/final-typhoon-loans-to-the-philippines-cambodia/ http://www.haveimpact.org/final-typhoon-loans-to-the-philippines-cambodia/#comments Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:35:36 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=417 Fe Erma Aragones lost her fish pond in Typhoon Ondoy

Fe Erma Aragones lives with her husband Biato Aragones and their three children Emilio, Ana Marie and Angelica in Binangonan, a village in the North of the Philippines province of Rizal. She says their children, and their new grandchildren are really their blessing and the [...]]]> Fe Erma Aragones lost her fish pond during Typhoon Ondoy

Fe Erma Aragones lost her fish pond in Typhoon Ondoy

Fe Erma Aragones lives with her husband Biato Aragones and their three children Emilio, Ana Marie and Angelica in Binangonan, a village in the North of the Philippines province of Rizal. She says their children, and their new grandchildren are really their blessing and the reason they strive hard to fight against poverty.  Because of their work, all of their children could graduate from college, and found work now.

Fe and Biato have a fish pond in the sea. When Typhoon Ondoy entered Rizal, their fish pond was damaged. The level of water in the sea got that high all the fish inside the fish pond were lost. They wanted to repair the fish pond and expand it. They also needed new funds to buy fishlings they can raise until it is ready for harvest.

Fe asked for a loan of US$950, repayable over 14 months. We allocated a loan of US$25 to her, as part of our project to help microfinance entrepreneurs in the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam recovering from the recent typhoons.

Over the past month, we allocated $1,825 to this project. Friends from The Road’s lending team contributed another US$730, bringing the total of new loans after the typhoons to US$6,055. This matches the total amount we raised through this post.

The project balance:

My contribution 3,750
Donation by E 300
Donation by Diana 1,000
Donation by Liz 100
The Road’s team 905
total: 6,055

The microfinance loans I allocated this month:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/final-typhoon-loans-to-the-philippines-cambodia/feed/ 0 New loans to the Philippines http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinanceloans-to-the-philippines/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinanceloans-to-the-philippines/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:15:41 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=396 Roberto Doroni in the Philippines needed more farming supplies

After typhoons Ketsana and Parma hit the Philippines, 7 million people were affected. we started a fundraiser and advocacy campaign here on “Have Impact!”, which generated more than 1,000 comments. I promised to raise $5 per comment, for micro finance loans to entrepreneurs in the [...]]]> Roberto Doroni in the Philippines needed more farming supplies

Roberto Doroni in the Philippines needed more farming supplies

After typhoons Ketsana and Parma hit the Philippines, 7 million people were affected. we started a fundraiser and advocacy campaign here on “Have Impact!”, which generated more than 1,000 comments. I promised to raise $5 per comment, for micro finance loans to entrepreneurs in the Philippines so people could get their lives back on track, and restart if need be.

As part of this project, we have issued quite a few loans to people already. Roberto Doroni was one of them. He lives in Pangal Norte – Echague with his wife and two children. Farming is his main income, and he was looking for a loan of $325 to invest in more farming supplies so he could increase his crop yield.
We issued him a loan of $50, to be repaid over 7 months.

Here is the list of all 42 loans we have have issued over the past four days:

Apart from the loans I issued, many others have joined forces with us. members of our Kiva Lenders team issued over 2,000 US$ of loans just in the past week. Well done all!

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinanceloans-to-the-philippines/feed/ 0 More microfinance loans to the Philippines http://www.haveimpact.org/more-microfinance-loans-to-the-philippines/ http://www.haveimpact.org/more-microfinance-loans-to-the-philippines/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:11:23 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=379 Felicino Sara in the Philippines

In our team effort to raise microfinance loans for the Philippines, which were hard hit by the recent typhoons, we are raising $5 per comment left on our kickoff post. Our action runs until October 31.

Apart from fundraising, we continue to allocate new loans to entrepreneurs in the Philippines who [...]]]> Felicino Sara in the Philippines

Felicino Sara in the Philippines

In our team effort to raise microfinance loans for the Philippines, which were hard hit by the recent typhoons, we are raising $5 per comment left on our kickoff post. Our action runs until October 31.

Apart from fundraising, we continue to allocate new loans to entrepreneurs in the Philippines who will use the funds to revive and expand their livelihood.

Diane, one of our Kiva Lenders’ team, stepped forward and helped me out. She already allocated 25 loans for a total of $625 for this project. She committed to “buy” up to 200 comments on the post I mentioned before.

My Friend “E”, donated $300 to “buy” 60 comments, loans allocated in this post.

Elizabeth, a colleague and friend, who is also member of our Kiva team, donated $100, and as such “bought” 20 comments. Her loans are allocated in this post.

I donated $300, buying 60 comments, for 6 loans.

Our Philippines project has now allocated $1,325 already.

The most recent loan went to Felicino Sara in Trento, Agusan Del Sur, in the Philippines. Felicino is 58 years old and farms a small rice field a short distance away from his village. He hopes the farm will help him supply his family with the food, clothes and other basic things they need. He constantly attempts to surpass the size of his previous harvest.

He needed a loan of $175, refundable over 7 months, as an additional capital for his business. The loan will help him sustain his livelihood until the next harvest.

As small stake holder farmers are the “engine” of the economy in a country like the Philippines, we gave him a loan of US$50.

The loans we allocated in the past two days:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/more-microfinance-loans-to-the-philippines/feed/ 0 Our first loans to the Philippines after the typhoons http://www.haveimpact.org/our-first-loans-to-the-philippines-after-the-typhoons/ http://www.haveimpact.org/our-first-loans-to-the-philippines-after-the-typhoons/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:52:28 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=365 Norma Danao in the Philippines

After the devastating typhoons hit the Philippines, we started a fundraising project, to better the lives of the entrepreneurs there. I promised $5 for every comment left on the kick-off post. At the moment of writing we received close 500 comments, and thus raised over US$2,500 already.

The loans issued today, [...]]]> Norma Danao in the Philippines

Norma Danao in the Philippines

After the devastating typhoons hit the Philippines, we started a fundraising project, to better the lives of the entrepreneurs there. I promised $5 for every comment left on the kick-off post. At the moment of writing we received close 500 comments, and thus raised over US$2,500 already.

The loans issued today, are part of that project. They loans have been funded by my Friend E, who “bought” the pledges of 60 comments.

The first new loan goes to Norma Danao, an industrious woman from the village of Bliss, Ilagan, Isabela in the Philippines. She is married to Mario, who discovered a new formula for home-made fertilizer.
Norma and her husband, have been manufacturing ‘foliar’ fertilizers for seven years already and their business is expanding rapidly. To meet the demands of their customers, she hopes to access a loan of US$650 as additional capital in purchasing different ingredients for the fertilizer.

We allocated a loan of $50 to her.

Other loans allocated today:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/our-first-loans-to-the-philippines-after-the-typhoons/feed/ 5 New microfinance loans allocated: Agriculture, South America and women http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-allocated-agriculture-south-america-and-women/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-allocated-agriculture-south-america-and-women/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:14:45 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=360 San Miguel De Ayacucho Group in Peru

Today, I got several loans repaid, so I allocated $550 new loans. This time, the accent went to women working in agriculture.

One of the new loans is to the member of the Communal Bank San Miguel de Ayacucho in Peru. They are a group of 15 people, mostly [...]]]> San Miguel De Ayacucho Group in Peru

San Miguel De Ayacucho Group in Peru

Today, I got several loans repaid, so I allocated $550 new loans. This time, the accent went to women working in agriculture.

One of the new loans is to the member of the Communal Bank San Miguel de Ayacucho in Peru. They are a group of 15 people, mostly women. The community is located on the banks of the river Chacco, where most of the population is engaged in vegetable farming.

These entrepreneurs have various businesses such as selling vegetables, shoes, general groceries, beverages, transport of passengers. Their loans will be invested in buying sugar, rice, seeds, fertilizer and for payment of laborers.

An overview of the loans made today:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-microfinance-loans-allocated-agriculture-south-america-and-women/feed/ 0 New loans for the Middle East and South America http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-middle-east-and-south-america/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-middle-east-and-south-america/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:46:52 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=314 Las Lucetitas in Ecuador

A Friend of mine came back from mission, and decided to give US$300 of her mission allowance to Kiva via our lenders’ group. She requested to allocate the loans to women – as most of our loans -, and particularly women from South America.

She said South America is often neglected in [...]]]> Las Lucetitas in Ecuador

Las Lucetitas in Ecuador

A Friend of mine came back from mission, and decided to give US$300 of her mission allowance to Kiva via our lenders’ group. She requested to allocate the loans to women – as most of our loans -, and particularly women from South America.

She said South America is often neglected in foreign aid and development, and the people deserve more support.

One typical example of how people take their destiny in their own hands to move up in the world, are the “Las Lucecitas” Women’s group in Cuenca, Ecuador. A summary of what they are all about:

The communal bank Las Lucecitas is made up of 7 members, who want to better themselves and have better opportunities in life. The majority of the members are from the neighborhood of Narancay from the Baños parish in the city of Cuenca in Paraguay.

Baños is known for its hot springs that emanate from a volcano. There are festivals throughout the month of January with several activities such as dances and artist showcases and festivals featuring timbulo (a sweet tamale wrapped in corn leaf) and other foods. Few of the inhabitants work in agriculture because, for the most part, they work serving the large quantity of tourists who come to get to know this beautiful place.

Señora María Natividad Pugo Tenesaca is one of the communal bank members. She is 39 years old, married, and has 5 children. Her older children study in the Manuel Córdova Galarza Technical College located in her parish. She and her family live in their own home, the fruits of the efforts of María and her spouse who is a carpenter. For 10 years María has worked in agriculture, raising chickens, guinea pigs, and pigs.
The family consumes the majority of her output, and she sells a small amount in the free market in Cuenca, also selling chickens on foot, or plucked to acquaintances who buy in the house and she sells them in the stores in her area.

This is her third loan cycle. Before using microfinance loans, she had to borrow from informal lenders at very high rates of interest. With the loan, she will buy more chickens, guinea pigs, pigs, animal food and vitamins to continue to grow her business. Her goal is to eventually buy a car in order to increase her sales and collect more customers.

Señora María Cristina Mejía Pinos is an other member of the communal bank. Her mother-in-law is a member of the bank and invited her to join. She is 23 years old, has been married for 5 years, and has two children: a 4-year old and a 2-year old. Her husband is a driver in public transportation.
Maria is starting with the business of raising chickens. She tells us that it is not too complicated, to obtain the desired earnings you just have to be attentive so that the animals do not lack food or water and have adequate shelter.
This is her first credit and she hopes to continue to take out loans so that she can improve her quality of life and that of her family. With this loan she will purchase more chickens, animal food and vitamins, and also she will use a part of the loan to finish her house. The goal of Maria is to finish building her house.

Señora Sindy Gissela Morán Castro is another active member of the communal bank Las Lucecitas. She is eighteen years old and is married. Her husband is an electrician and they live in a rented home and would like to improve their economic situation.
Sindy sells shoes, she has been involved in this activity for a year. She has a good supply of good quality shoes and is an informal trader in the Cuenca free market, which runs daily. She works from 8am to 6pm and on weekends goes to the markets in Sigsig, Azogues, and Paute where she works from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This is her first loan, a friend convinced her to become part of the bank by telling her about the advantages that the foundation offers. With the loan she is requesting she will buy more merchandise and this way will have an increased inventory of shoes for women, men and children. Her dream is to have her own stall, so that she would not have to travel around the city to sell her goods.

I allocated six loans with my Friend’s donation. I also added a loan to a lady in Lebanon from funds as it is not often one finds an entrepreneur on Kiva from the Middle East.

All loans allocated today:

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-for-the-middle-east-and-south-america/feed/ 0 New loans went to Togo, Sudan, Bolivia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Philippines and Samoa http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-went-to-togo-sudan-bolivia-indonesia-nicaragua-philippines-and-samoa/ http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-went-to-togo-sudan-bolivia-indonesia-nicaragua-philippines-and-samoa/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:19:26 +0000 Peter http://www.haveimpact.org/?p=308 Wassiratou Assante in Togo got one of our newest loans

Wassiratou Assante is a young woman in Lomé, the capital of Togo. She is 28 years old, married, and the mother of one child. She runs a hair salon since five years and was looking for a loan of US$225 to buy a hair dryer, [...]]]> Wassiratou Assante in Togo got one of our newest loans

Wassiratou Assante in Togo got one of our newest loans

Wassiratou Assante is a young woman in Lomé, the capital of Togo. She is 28 years old, married, and the mother of one child. She runs a hair salon since five years and was looking for a loan of US$225 to buy a hair dryer, some hair extensions and beauty products for resale.
We gave Wassiratou a loan of US$50 which she will pay back over the next 13 months.

Wassiratou is one of our ten new loans we allocated to entrepreneurs from 7 different countries. All of them were women, or women’s groups.

The loans were financed by the repayment of previous loans we did via Kiva.

]]> http://www.haveimpact.org/new-loans-went-to-togo-sudan-bolivia-indonesia-nicaragua-philippines-and-samoa/feed/ 0